Minister Oskanian was in Moscow on a three-day working visit, April 5 – 7.

On the evening of May 5, he met with Igor Ivanov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. During the meeting, the two discussed the present status of Armenian-Russian relations and exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest related to regional and international security and stability.

On April 6, the Minister met with Yuri Merzlyakov, Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, at the Armenian Embassy in Russia.

Later in the day, Minister Oskanian met with Russian businessmen of Armenian origin. He welcomed their interest and confidence in Armenia’s economy. He expressed appreciation for the projects that Armenians from all over the world implement in Armenia, but stressed the need for coordination of this process. Specifically, he spoke about rural development in Armenia, which he said will be one of the key items to be discussed at the third Armenia-Diaspora Forum held on September 18-19.

The businessmen expressed their willingness to participate in these discussions and undertake some concrete projects. They continued to discuss prospects for Armenia’s development and Armenia-Diaspora interaction in various economic fields.

In the afternoon, Minister Oskanian delivered a speech on “Cooperation and Security in the South Caucasus” at the Carnegie Moscow Center, one of Russia’s leading research centers for political and social studies. The audience included representatives of governmental and political circles, as well as think-tanks and institutions of higher education, diplomatic missions and Russian and foreign mass media.

In the evening, the Minister met with young Armenians studying at Moscow State University for International Relations.

Today, the Minister met with the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.